Carrying device for containers



April 5, 1960 R. c. TAYLOR CARRYING DEVICE FOR CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 30, 1955 INVENTOR.

RUSSELL C. TAYLOR A Wfiaum ATTORNEYS United States Patent CARRYING DEVICE FOR CONTAINERS Russell C. Taylor, Greenwich, Conn., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 30, 1955, Serial No. 549,956

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) The present invention relates generally to devices for carrying a plurality of containers and the like in juxtaposed relation as a unitary package and has particular reference to atie member which may be adhesively secured to the containers and which provides an anchor for a handle.

An object of the instant invention is the provision of a carrying device which comprises simple, inexpensive elements which may' be readily attached to a plurality of containers arranged in juxtaposed relation for tieing them together in a unitary package and for providing a handle by which the package may be carried.

Another object is the provision of such a carrying device wherein a precoated adhesive tape may be utilized for tieing the containers together so that portions of the tape may be cutoff and pressure applied to the containers with a minimum of effort and a maximum of speed to produce an economical carrying device.

Another object is the provision of such a carrying device wherein the handle may be made of inexpensive twine or other material and securely anchored in and by the tie member for supporting the weight of the com tainers during carrying.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of juxtaposed containers secured together for carrying as a unitary package by a carrying device embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the carrying device alone, with parts on one side of the device shown in exploded relation to illustrate how the parts are fitted together; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary perspective views of modified forms of the invention.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate a carrying device A for carrying a pair of fibre milk containers B (Fig. 1) disposed in juxtaposed relation. The containers B preferably are of the character disclosed in United States Patent 2,085,979, issued July 6, 1937, to John M. Hothersall on Container.

Such a container comprises a rectangular body D having flat side walls E which at their upper ends are formed with necked-in portions F and an immediately adjacent outwardly or laterally projecting end seam or ledge G which surrounds the periphery of and secures in place a flat top member H. In the juxtaposed relation of the containers B, two side walls E are directly opposite each other in substantially contiguous relation as best shown in Fig. 1, with the ledges G adjacent these side walls in substantially coincident relation.

In the preferred form of the invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the carrying device A comprises a flat tape tie member 11 and a flexible cord or twine handle 12 secured thereto. The tie member 11 preferably comprises a flat strip of flexible fibre tape having one face thereof coated with a pressure sensitive or other suitable adhesive to provide for adhesion of the tape to the containers. However this tape may be made from other materials such as cellulose, cloth, metal or plastics.

The tape 11 completely encircles the juxtaposed containers B and is secured to the sides of the containers as shown in Fig. l to tie them together in a unitary package. The tape 11 may be a single continuous memher but a two piece tape is preferred.

In this preferred form one piece of tape 14 is .cut long enough to surround and be secured to three sides of one container (at the left as viewed in Fig. l) and to have free terminal ends 15 overlapping and secured to the juxtaposed container (at the right) to tie the containers together. In a similar manner another piece of tape 17 preferably of the same length, surrounds and is secured to the juxtaposed container (at the right as viewed in Fig. 1), with terminal ends 18 overlapping the first mentioned container (at the left) and overlapping the terminal ends 15 of the first tape 14 and secured to the outer face of the tape 14. Thus the two pieces of tape 14, 17 completely surround the two containers and their terminal ends overlap each other and also overlap the containers so as to firmly secure the containers together against displacement. 1

The handle 12 preferably is a short length of flexible cord or twine which is arched over the tops of the containers, preferably as shown in Fig. 1, with terminal ends 21 of the twine confined between the overlapped terminal ends 15, 18 of the tape members 14, 17. The adhesive on the inner face of the terminal ends 18 of the tape member 17 securely holds the ends 21 of the twine in place. In order to provide for a strong bond between the twine and the adhesive coated tape ends 18, the strands of the terminal ends 21 of the handle 12 preferably are frayed-out or untwisted or separated and spread out flat to cover a more extensive area of the adhesive coated face of the tape.

The handle 12 thus securely held in place at its ends may be readily gripped to carry the unitary package and when desired may be flattened out against the tops of the containers to provide for stacking of the unitary packages on top of each other. Where weight of the containers is a factor to be considered, the handle 12 preferably is provided with suitable knots 23 which are located in the handle for disposition under the outer ends of the laterally projecting substantially coincident ledges G (Fig. l) of the containers. In this location the weight of the containers is supported supplementally by the knots 23 when the handle 12 is drawn taut by the lifting of the containers.

In a modified form of the invention as shown in Fig. 3, a pair of short double layer tie members 25 are utilized to tie the containers together instead of the two piece completely encircling tie member 11. In this modified form a short piece of adhesively coated tape 26 is first secured to opposed sides of the two juxtaposed containers so that the tape extends across and overlaps the containers adjacent their substantially contiguous sides E. A second short piece of adhesively coated tape 27 is then secured to the first piece 26 in overlapping relation therewith. These two pieces of overlapped tape 26, 27 securely tie the containers together. The free ends of the twine handle 12 are interposed between the two layers of tape 26, 27 the ends extending below the tape and formed with knots 29 which engage under the lower edge of the tape to supplement the support of the containers during carrying.

In a similar modified form of the invention as shown in 4 a Hat band handle 31 is substituted for the twine handle 12. This flat band handle 31 maybe made from fibre, metal, plastic or other suitable material. The terminal ends 32of. the handle are interposed betweenthe layers 26, 27 ofthe' tie member's '25,..with"? the adhesive coating'on th'eIout'er layer 27 holding the handle in place.

It is thought that the invention and many ofits-attendant advantages will be understood froin'the foregoing description, and it willbeapparent that variousv changes may be made, in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing frorn the spirit fand'scope of the invention or, sacrificing-allot its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described beingmer'ely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A unitary carrying package,v comprising a pairof juxtaposed rectangularcontainers having opposed substantially fiat sides disposed in contiguous relation and having laterally projectingperipheraiiedges at theirqupper ends,- a pair of confronting substantially U-shaped strips ofv flexible tape respectively adhesively secured to the three exposed sides of saidjuxtaposed containers, the opposite end portions of'said U-shaped strips respectively bridging the contiguous sides of said containers on opposed sides of said package and adhesively secured together in overlapping relation, for holding said juxtaposed containers together, and a separate upstanding flexible handlehaving its :opposite gdepending end-- portions overhanging. saida.

opposed sides of said package and also bridging saidcon: tiguous container sides adjacent said overlapped end. portions. ofxsaid tape -strips,-the opposite ends ofisaid" flexible handle being confined between and adhesively secured to said overlapping end portions of said tape strips for carrying said package.

2. A unitary carrying package as defined in claim 1 wherein two tape strips each surrounds three sides of one of said containers and overlaps at its free ends opposite sides of the other contiguous container, with said free ends of saidtape strips disposed in overlapping relation to produce at the overlapped portions of said strips a double layer strip portion confining and holding together said juxtaposed containers, and. wherein said fiex-j ible handle comprises a twine member provided withspaced knots disposed. in engagingrelation .beneath' said laterally projecting peripheral container ledges, said knots ridging said contiguous container 'sides to supplement the depending support of said package by said handle.

References- Cited in the file of this patent UNITED 'STATES' PATENTS 

